Blade magazine



Allg 8, 1944. J. RRE-YBu-RN BLADE MAGAZINE Filed April 30,' 1942 llnhhss INVENTQR y l QH/v f?. HEYBURN ATTO R N EY Patented Aug. 8, 1944 BLADEMAGAZINE John R. Reyburn, Fairfield,` Conn.,- assigner to MagazineRepeating Razor Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of New JerseyApplication April 30, 1942, Serial No. 441,087

(Cl. 20G-16) Claims.

'I'he invention relates primarily to razor blade magazines of the typein which blades are ejected therefrom one by one by the action lof amanuaHy operable reciprocating plunger, the tip of which when at thecomplete end of the working stroke occupies the orifice through whichthe blades are ejected and more or less but not completely closes it.Especially in the case of a magazine which employs blades provided withnubs for guidance and perhaps other purposes such as are disclosed inthe Briggs U. S. Patent No. 2,258,968, issued OctoberVL 14, 1941, theclosure of the orifice is far fromrcomplete at any time, since it isnecessary to provide al special groove in the bottom Wall of the orificeto permit the nubs of the blades to pass as they are ejected.

The invention is found most usefulwhen employed in the type of magazinerazor in Which the magazine forms the handle, the razor head beingpermanently connectedv With it. The heads of razors of this characterare frequently dipped in Water or are exposed to the action of a streamof water and, since the ejection orifice is adjacent the razor head,waterl in such cases is liable to, and very frequently does, enter themagazine through the orifice, particularly when provided with thevgroove mentioned above, and if it reaches the blades in themagazinecorrodes them in a short time. However, the invention is also useful inconnection with the type of magazine razor in which the magazine isnormally del taohed from the razor itself, beingonly connected to it forthe purpose of ejecting a blade from the magazine and driving it intothe razor head. While magazines of this latter type are not frequentlyused in a way whereby water can enter them, the orifice especially whenprovided with the groove mentioned does permit access of damp air, saltWater, and-other corrosive gases which, While notacting as rapidly asfree water,

do have an equally deleterious corrosive effect if given sucient time.Magazines of this type are now and'then immersed in water throughcarelessness or accident, in which case the advantages of the inventionare as great as in the case of the type o-f razor first referred to.Both types are fully shown and described in the Briggs patent abovereferred to, which, in addition, show the ejection orifices providedwith the grooves referred to. Disclosure of the two types of magazinesreferred to in Which the groove in the ejection orifice is omittedappear in United States patent to Rodrigues No. 2,109,017, issuedFebruary 22, 1938 (separate magazine type) and in United States patentto Rodrigues No. 1,877,429, issued September 13,1932 (magazinepermanently attached to razor). So far as the scope of the invention isconcerned, it may be statedthat it extends only to the magazine and thatwhat disposition is made of the blade after it is ejected therefrom-i.e., whether it is driven into a razor head attached to the magazine orinto a detachable razor headis immaterial. Regardless of which of theabove types of razors isequipped with the invention, the object ineither case is to sealthe orifice against entrance into the magazine ofthe objectionable substances that have been referred to. Y

Referring to the drawing, thefrst ve figures of which illustrate thepreferred embodiment of the invention, 'C

f Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of the magazine with the razorhead .mounted thereon and with the blade ejecting plunger in itsadvanced position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig; 1 with the blade ejecting plunger fullyretracted;

Fig. 3 is a perspective viewV of the razor partially disassembled;

Fig. 4 is a viewon 4 -4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a type of blade used in the magazines tobe described;

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation and in section showing a modified form ofthe invention.

The casing or'housing of the lmagazine is an elongated tubular structureof square cross-section comprising the bottom wall I0, the side wall H,the side wall IZjthe side Walls being bent over into right-angle`flanges i3, and I4, leaving the slot I5 between the edges of theflanges, although the slot is not a necessary feature-it being quitepermissible that the top of the casing be entirely closed.

The butt end of the casing is normally `entirely closed by a `fingerpiece of the plunger, asl will be presently described. lhe other end isclosed by a block I6 inserted therein and retained by any of theusualmethods ofsoldering or perhaps a tight fit. The block I6V merges into apost Il, on the head 20 ofvwhich is rotatably mounted the razor headproper 2|, having the blade retaining channel 22 into which blades aredriven from the magazine from time to time as required to replace Wornblades. The razor head may for shaving purposes be rotated on the head20 to a position at right angles to the post` I1 after the mannerdisclosed in the SchickY U.- S. Patent No. 1,730,167, issued October l,1929. Since this feature ofthe construction, as has been alreadyimpliedly noted, forms no part of the invention and is well-known, itwill not be described in further detail.

A blade ejection orice 23 is provided between the flanges I3 and I4 andthe block IS and serves as a passage through which blades may be drivenfrom the magazine into the blade channel 22 of the razor head or, if themagazine is of the type shown in the Rodrigues U. S. Patent No.1,969,945, issued August 14, 1934, into a separate razor or they may beejected to be disposed of in any other desired way. In the bottom wallof the slot there may be, if blades provided with nubs are used, agroove 28 to allow of the passage of the nubs (indicated by the numeral29) with which the blades are provided as shown in Fig. 5. Y

Within the casing is located a blade Wtray container having a bottomwall 24, an end wall 25, and side flanges 26 and 2I, the side flangesterminating with upstanding ears 30 and 3| for fpurposes which willpresently be referred to. A tongue 32 terminating in van upwardlyextending hook 33 is struck partially out of the bottom wall of theblade tray container and partially out f the` end wall 25 and ispermanently bent slightly upward as shown at 34. The block I6 isundercut as shown at 35, and it will be apparent that, by pressing thetongue down ush with the casing by inserting a simple instrument throughthe slot IHand thendriving the container forward until the end wallv isflush with the block, the hook 3 3 will engage in the undercut portion35 of the block.l The container can be released by reversal of thisoperation. The end wall is provided with a notch 39 (if blades havingnubs are to be used) through which the blade nubs Ymay pass as theblades are ejected.

the body be of rubber of any kind or even that it be cylindrical. If itis of natural rubber, it should be vulcanized merely to a resilientdeformable state, or materials such as cork and others to be named laterthat are resiliently deformable may be employed. These materials ingeneral, while deformable, are not compressible beyond a negligibleextent, but the square section of the enclosure provides spaces 40 thatpermit further deformation of the body when a blade or the end of theplunger is driven between the body and the contacting flanges I3 and I4.

f lAs to the cylindrical shape of the body, a cylinder The block I6 iscutaway so that in combina- -side wall 36 and the bottom wall 37, theother side wall being formed by the `end wall 25 of the container andthe top wall (when the lplunger is withdrawn) being formed ofthekflanges I3 and I4.. Prior to assembly of the" container with the casingand the block (the container being fully withdrawable from the casing) abody of natural or synthetic rubber in 4a resilient and deformable statein the `form 'of a cylinder 38 is laid on the bottom wall 31 of theenclosure just described and, 'when the container is locked in assembledposition, the cylinder V38 is completely confined and bears with lightpressure against all the walls of the enclosure and thereforeVcompletely closes the orifice including the groove, if any, againstingress of foreign substances such as have been referred to. It shouldbenoted that it is long enough to fill the channel in the plunger whichwill be later described. It is slightly deformed from the circularsection which is caused by the rectangular section'of the enclosure inwhich it is confined.

The vforegoing ist-he condition when the plunger (to be described)Vislretracted `to a position at which it clears the cylinder. y

The resilient deformable body has been described as composed of rubber(natural or synthetic) in the form of a cylinder. Synthetic rubberparticularly that sold under the trade name of neoprene is preferablewhen the blades in the magazine are covered with Va lm of oil as isusually the case, since such rubber is not ap- -preciably affected byoil-as is 4natural rubber. In point' of lfact, however, it -is notnecessary that is chosen merely because it is convenient to manufactureand because it satisfactorily answers the requirements that have beenset forth. In any case the length of the cylinder is equal to the insidewidth of the web of the plunger.

The plunger may be of channel section with the web of the channelcontiguous to the flanges I3 and I4, the flanges of the channel sectionterminating in downwardly extending ears only one of which indicated bythe numeral 4I is shown. These ears slide on the ilanges 26 and 21 ofthe blade tray container. When in fully retracted position, the ears 4Iof the plunger abut against the ears 30 and 3l of the blade traycontainer and further Aretractive movement of the plunger is arrested.The plunger is provided with e linger piece 43 so that it can be easilygrasped and operated by the thumb and nger. rl`he web of the plungerextends beyond the depending ears 4I as indicatedat 44 (Fig. 2).

The blades, of which a number are shown vand indicated by the numeral45, are contained in a trayr having the bottom side 46 and the end walls4l and 58, both end walls being fore-shortened to provide the slot 50and the slot 5I through which the web of the plunger passes on itsworking stroke-i. e., the stroke that effects the ejection of a blade,The slot 5I permits of the passage of a blade over the end wall 41 as itis driven by the plunger. A spring 52 exerting an upward pressureagainst the stack of blades 45 is riveted to the bottom walls of theblade tray container, and projects upwardly through a slot in the bottomof the blade tray. As blades are ejected one by one, the spring keepsthe stack in its uppermost position with the top blade bearing againstthe flanges I3 and I4. The lug 29a projecting into an aperture in theend wall of the blade tray container is for the purpose of preventingthe blade tray from rising under the influence of frictional'contact ofthe blades with the Vend wall of the blade tray. Trays of theconstruction described are well known in the razor art, being disclosedin United States patents to Schick No. 1,797,733, issued March 24, 1931;to Kulml No. 2,200,752, issued May 14, 1940; and to KuhnlNo.2,215,008,issued September 17, 1940.

As the plunger 'is forced inwardly on its working stroke from theposition shown in Fig. 2, the tip 44 abuts the topmost blade 53 anddrives it in the direction of the Lrazor head. As the bladetravels'it'wedges between'the cylinder 33 and the flanges I3 and I4,deforming the cylinder in so doing and passing between it and theflanges. As the motion continues to the position shown in Fig. l, thetipof the plunger likewise passes between the resilient cylinder and theflanges I3 and I4'and, when the plunger has reached the limit of itsworking stroke as shown in Fig. 1 and a blade has been driven its kfulldistance into 4the razor head, the plunger is left where itis until itis desired to 'introduce 'rolls to some extent.

another blade. When so positioned, a complete and effective closure ofthe groove (if any) and of the blade ejection orifice 23 as a Whole iseffected. When the plunger is partly Withdrawni. e., beyond theresilient body 38, the latter resumes its previous shape but stilleffects a complete closure of the orifice including the groove 2s, ifpresent.

In assembling the magazine, the blade tray is introduced through theopen end of the casing, and its position is maintained by the springtongue struck up from the bottom Wall 24 of the blade tray container.This tongue, While it offers enough friction to prevent the blade trayfrom falling out through the open end of the casing or from beingdragged back on the retractive movement of the plunger, does notinterfere With the withdrawal of the blade tray applying to it a simpletool, nor does it interfere with the introduction o-f a substitute tray.

in Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of the inv on. In this case theenclosure in which the resinent and deformable body 6l is contained iselongated shown so that, as a blade or the end of the plunger passesbetween the body and the adjacent Wall of the magazine, the former Thisserves not only the purpose of distributing the Wear on its surface butalso contributes to an easy entrance of a lade or the tip of theplunger, as the case may be, between it and the said adjacent Wall ofthe magazine. Before its insertion in place, it preferably approximatesa true cylinder, but, when inserted in the enclosure, it is distorted toan oblong section as shown. It may be, and preferably holiovv asindicated by the numeral 62. The material of which it is made may be ofrubber of the above described or the equivalents thereof that have beenmentioned, or it may be of thin resilient steel or other metal, or thinresilient plastic. The rubber or its equivalent ho'a-fever is preferredinasmuch as it readily forms tight closure. The length of the enclc-suremay be considerably longer in proportion to height than is shown in Fig.6, if more latitude for roll is desired. it will be seen that as theplunger is inserted to its full distance on its Working stroke, the bodywill roll to the left as shown in the ligure and, as the plunger isWithdrawn, it Will roll to the right. In the case of the modification ofFig. 6, the groove in the Wall of the blade ejection orice may or maynot be present, depending upon whether or not the blades are providedWith guiding nubs.

While I have described a certain particular construction in which myinvention is incorporated, I do not desire to be limited to thisparticular embodiment since many changes and modifications may easily bemade Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a blade magazine of the type comprising a blade ejection orificeand a plunger mounted for reciprocation along a Wall of the magazine andin line with the orice for ejecting blades from the magazine one by onethrough the orice, means for sealing the orifice against the ingresstherethrough into the magazine of foreign substances, said meanscomprising a resilient deformable body of normally cylindrical formsupported in an enclosure adjacent the path traveled by the plunger andnormally bearing resiliently against the said vvall, the said enclosurebeing elongated sufciently so that the said body may roll with themovement of the plunger as the latter is projected between it and thesaid Wall and withdrawn therefrom.

2. In a blade magazine of the type comprising a blade ejection orificeand a plunger mounted for reciprocation along a Wall of the magazine andin line with the orifice for ejecting blades from the magazine one byone through the orifice, means for sealing the orifice against theingress therethrough into the magazine of foreign substances, said meanscomprising a resilient deformable body supported adjacent the pathtraveled by the plunger and normally bearing resiliently against thesaid Wall, the said body normally taking the form of a hollow cylinder.

3. In a blade magazine of the type comprising a blade ejection orificeand a plunger mounted for reciprocation along a Wall of the magazine andin line with the orifice for electing blades from the magazine one byone tfz'irough the oririce, means for sealing the orifice against theingress therethrough into the magazine of foreign substances, said meanscomprising a resilient de- A formable body of normally cylindrical formsupported in an enclosure adjacent the path traveled by the plunger andnormally bearing resiliently against the said Wall, the said enclosurebeing elongated sufficiently so that the said body may roll with themovement of the plunger as the latter is projected between it and thesaid. Wall and withdrawn therefrom, the said body normally taking theform of a hollow cylinder.

4. In a blade magazine of the type comprising a blade ejection orificeand a plunger mounted for reciprocation along a vvall of the magazineand in line with the orifice for ejecting blades from the magazine oneby one through the orice, one of the walls of the orice being providedWith a groove to permit the passage through said orifice of bladesprovided with nubs, means for sealing the groove against the ingresstherethrough into the magazine of foreign substances, said meanscomprising a resilient deformable body supported adjacent the pathtraveled by the plunger and normally bearing resiliently against thesaid Wall.

5. In a blade magazine of the type comprising a blade ejection orificeand a plunger mounted for reciprocation along a Wall of the magazine andin line with the orifice for ejecting blades from the magazine one byone through the orifice, one of the Walls of the orifice being providedwith a groove to permit the passage through said orifice of bladesprovided With nubs, means for sealing the groove against the ingresstherethrough into the magazine of foreign substances, said meanscomprising a resilient deformable body of normally cylindrical formsupported in an enclosure adjacent the path traveled by the plunger andnormally bearing resiliently against the said Wall, the said enclosurebeing elongated suiiciently so that the said body may roll With themovement of the plunger as the latter is projected between it and thesaid wall and Withdrawn therefrom.

JOI-1N R. REYBURN.

